Turbofan engines provide thrust in order to power an aircraft during takeoff, flight, and landing. Some turbofan engines utilize Variable-Area Fan Nozzle (VAFN) systems in order to alter how they generate thrust. Specifically, a VAFN dynamically adjusts the shape of the output nozzle for the turbofan engine, resulting in numerous benefits such as increased fuel economy and noise reduction.
Another system used for turbofan engines is known as a thrust reverser. A thrust reverser redirects the output of the engine towards the fore of the aircraft instead of the aft of the aircraft. Thrust reversers may be used, for example, to reduce the speed of an aircraft after landing. One type of thrust reverser is a translating sleeve fan-air thrust reverser. In these thrust reversers, a translating cowl (“transcowl”) of a nacelle that houses the engine slides aftwards, allowing fan air to be rerouted as it travels through the engine. It is generally not desirable to use thrust reversers during flight. For this reason, thrust reversers are often locked in a closed position while the aircraft is in flight.